A total of 20 young South Africans are well on the road to becoming prospective chartered accountants [CA(SA)], having successfully graduated through the Thuthuka programme at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU).
At a function held in April 2009 to commemorate the occasion of the first Thuthuka graduates at the university, Professor Frans Prinsloo, the university’s Director of the School of Accounting, congratulated the students on their achievements in light of the support received from the university and its accounting department, as well as SAICA, which inspired the Thuthuka programme.
The ceremony was attended by the jubilant students, their families, university and SAICA representatives. The new graduates are currently registered for the honours in accounting programme at NMMU.
This project began at NMMU in the Eastern Cape in 2006 and was rolled out to Limpopo, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. It is aimed at enhancing the flow of African and Coloured students entering the profession.
Thuthuka is funded jointly by the accountancy profession and the Department of Labour, through the National Skills fund and the Seta for Finance, Accounting, Management Consulting and other Financial Services (Fasset) as well as the private and public sector.
Chantyl Mulder observes: “The Thuth2009uka project provides universities with an opportunity to get actively involved in attempts to redress the racial imbalance in the chartered accountancy profession. The combined effort of the courses offered at NMMU and Thuthuka are evidence that we are well on the way to achieving our goal”.
Author: Edward Makwana, Project Director: Communications, SAICA.
